How to behave in the forest so as not to meet a bear. What to do if you meet a bear? What to do if you meet a bear in the forest When a bear comes out how do they behave

A natural forest is a habitat for wild animals. Man is not the master here and must, with caution, obey the laws of nature. Bears live in many forests. This is a large and dangerous animal.

Carpathian, Belarusian, Caucasian and Central Asian bears live in the forests of the European part of Russia. These species are considered calmer and more peaceful. Bears in forests are much more aggressive and dangerous Eastern Siberia, Baikal region, Far East and Primorsky Territory.

To protect yourself when forays into the forest, you need to know and remember in advance how to behave if you encounter a bear.

We tell you what to do if you meet a moose in the forest.

Seasonal characteristics of bears

Spring is the time when bears wake up from hibernation. They are hungry and irritable. The most dangerous at this time of year are females with offspring. If you encounter a mother bear with cubs, you should not approach them, try to treat them or take a photo with them. The mother bear perceives any movement in her direction or towards her brood as a direct threat, and will fiercely defend herself and her cubs.

Summer is the mating season. Considered dangerous in to a greater extent males, but a sudden meeting with a female can also end badly. During the day you should move along flat and lightly overgrown areas, avoiding dense bushes, tall grass, and impassable forest thickets. You should not camp overnight in areas of known bear trails or where uprooted stumps and scratched trees have been observed.

In autumn, when there are a lot of fruits, berries, and mushrooms everywhere, bears are well-fed and behave calmly, rarely attacking. Exceptions may include injured, trapped or sick animals.

In winter, bears sleep, but connecting rod bears are occasionally seen. They did not have time to stock up on enough fat to hibernate until spring. The connecting rods are hungry and exhausted by their condition. They wander in search of food all the time and often approach human habitation based on smells. Such bears often attack people. During lean seasons or after forest fires Massive invasions of connecting rod bears are observed.

How to Avoid the Attention of Bears

Meetings with bears, except hunters, professional photographers and zoologists should not be the target of forest forays. Accidental collisions with wild animals are unpleasant and life-threatening. This is a lot of stress for ordinary people.

How to behave in the forest to avoid encountering a bear:

• do not walk in the forest alone - a bear rarely approaches a group of people;
• halts should be carried out in a far visible area;
• all food after snacks should be hermetically hidden or disposed of underground - smells attract bears from long distances;
• You should not take dogs with you, they attract bears by barking, and if they meet, they rush at the animal and provoke aggression;
• You need to move noisily through the forest, wild animals go deep into the forest, away from noise sources;
• you should not sneak up, look for and track bears, they are frightened by sudden meetings with people and, in defense, attack;
• It is advisable not to walk through willow forests, raspberry forests and dwarf cedar forests - favorite habitats of bears;
• do not stop near bear trails - paths of two rows of holes at a 20-centimeter distance from each other, broken shoots, scratched trees, uprooted stumps;
• Do not move through the forest at night or in poor visibility.

How to behave when meeting a bear

It happens that all the precautions did not work, and by chance the bear came into view. There is no need to be afraid, and especially no need to show your fear to the beast.

What to do if you encounter a bear:

• if the bear does not see a person, you can hide behind a bush or tree trunk;
• You can only leave with your back forward, constantly watching the bear - the trajectory should run diagonally or in an arc;
• you can speak confidently, but not very loudly, showing that there is no fear, the situation is under the person’s control;
• In front of an inexperienced and young bear, the trick of quickly increasing in size works, it helps to open the hem of the cloak, raising your arms with a bulky object to appear taller, wider and bigger;
• bags of provisions can be thrown far away from you, this distracts the hungry animal, which begins to sniff and open the bags in search of food, at which time it becomes possible to quickly retreat to a safe distance;
• if a bear is approaching, you can lie face down on the ground, pretending to be dead - often the bear comes up, sniffs and leaves, in the worst case it can turn over and scratch a person;
• in case of close contact, you need to throw a handful of earth or small pebbles into the eyes of the animal;
• saving your life, you can kill a bear only with a shot from a weapon if you hit it in the eye, ear or open mouth.

What not to do:

• it is useless to quickly run away with your back to the animal in a straight line, it immediately begins to pursue and moves much faster than a person;
• the screams of a person, the barking of a dog do not frighten, but only provoke them - for a bear this is a sign that there is a victim in front of him;
• sudden movements are regarded by animals as a threat;
• it is useless to look for shelter in a tree, young, agile bears climb trees well, but experienced and old ones will remain waiting for you to go down or fall, at the base of the trunk;
• at a close distance, you cannot look into the eyes of a bear; for him, direct gaze into the eyes is a call to fight;
• you cannot turn your back to the bear;
• If you encounter a bear on the road, there is no need to honk and approach by car; it is wiser to wait at a safe distance or turn around and leave.

The most important thing when meeting a bear is not to panic and exercise prudence.

“If a bear wants to eat you, he will eat you.”

Of the large animals, the elephant, hippopotamus and bear are dangerous to humans. All three species are dangerous: brown, white and black American. Zoologist Mikhail Kretschmar talks about how to behave when meeting a bear. You can listen to the recorded lecture on our Youtube channel, and for those who prefer to read, we have prepared an article based on the lecture. The material will be useful to tourists, travelers, hunters, summer residents and everyone who vacations or lives in the forest area. Because where there is a forest, there is a bear.

Mikhail Kretschmar

Russian zoologist, writer, documentary filmmaker and journalist. Member International Association for the study and conservation of bears - studied brown bears for more than 20 years. Author of scientific works and monographs on the behavior and ecology of mammals, including the book “The Hairy God.”

Conflicts between bears and humans are not uncommon. Often the outcome of such a conflict is the death of a person, and even more often the death of an animal. To avoid this and get out of the situation with minimal losses, it is important to choose appropriate tactics behavior and react correctly.

Where can you meet a bear?

To understand how likely it is to encounter a bear, consider its habitat and the total number of each species. There are 3 types of bears living in Russia: brown, white and Himalayan.

Brown bear

Brown bears can be found in forests throughout almost the entire territory of our country and even outside the forest zone - for example, in the Chukotka tundra. Signs of its habitat are found even in the immediate vicinity of Moscow and within the Moscow and Leningrad regions.

The total number of brown bears in Russia is 200 thousand individuals. These data are approximate, because it is very difficult to calculate the exact size of the population, and no one knows the real numbers.

Polar bear

Its habitat is limited to the Arctic, so the likelihood of meeting it is very low.

There are 10 times fewer polar bears around the world than brown bears - only 20-30 thousand individuals. And in the territories adjacent to Russia (Svalbard-Novaya Zemlya, Laptev, Chukchi-Alaskan populations) there are 8-10 thousand of them.

Himalayan (white-breasted) bear

The smallest species, about 5-6 thousand individuals. Distributed only in the south of the Far East (Primorsky Territory, southern part Khabarovsk Territory), but despite this, conflicts with his participation occur frequently, because there are a lot of bears and a lot of people in this territory.

Which bears are the most dangerous?

Bears are dangerous regardless of age. The most dangerous are young bears, who actively study everything that surrounds them, and large dominant males, who already have their own territory. But first things first.

Bear cubs (30-35% of the population)

Very small cubs no older than 1-2 years always stay close to their mother. They weigh little, from 5-10 to 60 kg, and pose a danger not to humans, but to camp property. The main threat comes from the mother, who is always somewhere nearby. If you see a bear cub, know: the bear is nearby and can come after you at any moment.

You can easily drive away the cubs using improvised means, but this must be done carefully so that they do not start whining and calling their mother for help. However, you should not underestimate them at all: at least 2 cases are known when grown-up second-year bear cubs killed people.

“Middle class” - teenage bears (about 50% of the population)

These are animals aged 3-7 years that have not yet conquered their territory. They are forced to wander between the territories of large males and females with cubs until they are driven away.

These bears have a pronounced “teenager complex”: they enter a tent camp, turn over everything that smells unusual, knock it over, and can easily ruin a tent and tear an inflatable boat to rags. There is no malicious intent in these actions, they are just interested in everything, they want to test their teeth, slash with their claws - in the end they get so excited that they destroy the entire camp.

They can be driven away with improvised means, although this is not as easy to do as in the case of bear cubs. But under no circumstances should they be underestimated - even the smallest single bear weighs from 60 to 150 kg and can easily cope with a physically strong person.

Teenage bears may not look mature, but they are already strong and capable of killing © scfh.ru

Females with cubs (15% of the population)

Large animals weighing 70-220 kg. They often come into conflict as they strive to protect their offspring. They are extremely difficult to drive away and must be handled very carefully. In order not to provoke the mother bear's aggression, the cubs should not be offended - you just need to move away from them and not touch them.

Big bears (15-20% of the population)

This category includes dominant adult males and large solitary female bears. They come into conflict with humans during the feeding season, to protect their prey or if they are unexpectedly disturbed. Usually they do not seek to destroy a person and in 95% of cases you can part ways with them peacefully. However, it is precisely in this species that cases of predation towards humans occur.

Large males do not give way and do not consider it necessary to avoid anything on their territory. If you set up a tent on a bear trail, the bear will walk straight through your tent without turning anywhere.

It is difficult to drive away a large beast, but it is easy to provoke it into an attack. If such a bear decides to attack, it will be difficult to stop it.

A large animal seeks to protect its territory and may try to drive away a person © scfh.ru

What to expect from bears

In what cases do bears attack people? There are a number of situations in which an animal can cause harm to a person or his property. Let's consider all the options.

Entering cities and towns

This is usually done by teenage bears and mother bears with cubs. They come with the goal of profiting from something: they eat up available food supplies, trample vegetable gardens, small domestic animals, and destroy dachas. For example, in Khabarovsk over the past two years there have been cases when bears walked straight into supermarkets and it was very difficult to drive them out.

Bears are not afraid to approach human habitation. This male was spotted near the zoologists' hut in Yuzhno-Kamchatsky federal reserve- uses the toilet as a marking point © From the blog of nature photographer Igor Shpilenok: shpilenok.livejournal.com

If normal waste disposal and removal is not established near a camp site, poultry farm or meat processing plant, this may attract bears. They especially like cattle burial grounds with insufficient burial depth or even superficial ones. Such poor-quality burial cost the lives of many bears.

The animal can also come to the smell of food from a tourist camp. For example, you heated a stew on a fire, it boiled over and spilled onto the coals - as a result, all the bears within a radius of several kilometers know that something tasty is somewhere nearby.

Territory defense

Defense of territory is characteristic of large and adult animals - they will strive to drive a person out of their possessions. If there is oncoming traffic, such an animal may simply not give way and pass through the camp.

Protection of offspring

This is the most important basic instinct of a mother. A mother bear always strives to protect her cubs.

Production protection

Another unpleasant one dangerous topic. If a bear has buried prey somewhere, it will sit on it and protect it. The problem is that you don't know where the loot is buried. Usually it happens like this: a fishing crew or poachers caught a fish, it went rotten and was thrown into the bushes in a compact heap. The bear came, fed and lay down next to me. And then you walk by, but the bear doesn’t know that you are not interested in his prey - he doesn’t know and attacks.

Rutting period

Hormonal surges in brown bears last from May to June, and in white bears from April to June. At this time, both males and females are very easily excitable and react to all large moving objects, and it does not matter to them who it is: another bear, elk, deer or person. They attack actively and often suddenly.

Predation

The most unpleasant part of conflicts and the least predictable. There is nothing to reassure: if the bear is busy with you, he will finish his job. There are no options here.

Hungry migration

Periods of starvation occur in spring and autumn. But in the spring, the animal leaves the den with a fair amount of fat, which allows it to live comfortably until the time when the first grass appears. More dangerous beast it becomes autumn, when the berry harvest is poor, the fish are not approaching well - that’s when the bear begins to look for food and is actively engaged in predation. There are whole seasons of lack of food, then animals come en masse to villages and attack livestock and people.

Show of force

The bear is considered an omnivore, but it is still a predator. He considers himself the strongest and able to cope with an animal of any size, including a person. In this way he demonstrates his superiority. In places where animals did not see people for a long time (for example, in some regions of Chukotka), there were cases when a bear rushed at an all-terrain vehicle - it did not understand what it was and decided that it could overwhelm a moving object.

How to Avoid an Attack

Experienced people who often encounter bears (gamekeepers, shepherds, hunters, reindeer herders) have an expression: “A bear is a beast without eyes.” This is true: the animal’s vision is monochrome and very poor - it distinguishes only nearby objects. If you stand motionless, and the wind blows AWAY from the bear, then it can pass at a distance of 5 meters and not notice you.

Like most forest mammals, the bear is guided by movement, smells, sounds and touch. He has excellent hearing and sense of smell: there was a case when a bear smelled a dead elk at a distance of 12 kilometers from the carcass and unmistakably came to him.

The bear receives a lot of information through touch - with the help of its paw pads. But exactly how this happens is not completely clear.

If possible, you should try to avoid meeting a predator altogether. There are several rules that will help protect against attack.

You need to move in groups, and try to speak loudly and make noise along the way.

Bears very rarely attack groups of tourists, they simply avoid them © From the blog of naturalist photographer Igor Shpilenok: shpilenok.livejournal.com

1. It is advisable to have a dog in the group. She smells a bear and begins to bark, indicating where the animal is - it understands that it has been discovered and leaves. But you can trust only those dogs whose human defense reflex is elevated to the absolute level. Many people died in the taiga because a frightened dog rushed towards its owner, knocked him down, and the bear, instead of the dog, “broke” the owner.

If a dog is not capable of sacrificing its life for a person, going through bear areas with it is much more dangerous than without it © scfh.ru

1. Have protective equipment on hand: from metal utensils (or something similar that can be knocked on loudly) to a flare.

Deterrent methods: what works and what doesn't

When meeting a bear, it is important to be able not to fight it off, but to prevent a conflict in principle. The animal needs to be scared away so that it not only does not want to attack, but also generally runs away from the person. There are many ways to scare away bears.

Voice

Standard situation: you are walking along a path, and a bear comes towards you, very keen on something, not paying attention to anything. There are thickets of bushes on the sides of the road, you have nowhere to go - what to do? Wait until the bear comes within 20 meters, and then in a calm voice, as in normal communication, say something like: “Where are you, you fool, going?” In a few seconds you will no longer see this bear.

Metallic knock

Bears are frightened by a sharp, unpleasant sound. You can hit a jar on a stone or a spoon on a metal bowl - the animal will stand on its hind legs, look around and run away. There was a case when a shipwrecked sailor walked 40 kilometers through very densely populated bear areas: he picked up a pebble from the ground and hit it with the butt of a knife, the result was a rather loud and unpleasant sound - the bears did not approach the sailor.

How to behave when meeting a bear.

The bear (Brown bear) inhabits the entire Urals, Northern Urals, Subpolar Urals and Polar Urals.

The brown bear is the most large predator, living in the Ural taiga. Its weight can exceed 600 kg. Powerful forelimbs, equipped with long claws, have great destructive power - with a blow from the front paw, a bear can break a ridge, tear out ribs or break the skull bones of an elk. A bear can bite through the barrels of a smoothbore gun with its teeth.
Despite its apparent massiveness, the bear is a very “agile” animal. In a jerk, he reaches a speed of 60 km/h, and from a standstill.

The bear has peculiar calloused formations on the lower part of its paws. These calluses leave marks on the ground that are unique to bears. The complete imprint of the hind leg somewhat resembles that of a human foot. Fur color varies widely from black to straw-red.

There are a lot of bears in the subpolar Urals. Especially along river banks. This is his country. His hunting grounds. And there is only one owner here - the BEAR. We are his guests, don’t forget about it. If you are traveling alone through the domain of a bear, and even more so along the river bank, where there is a lot of willow grass, let us know about you. Especially where terrain or vegetation makes visibility difficult. Make noise, sing, talk loudly, or tie a bell to your backpack. If possible, travel with a group. Groups make more noise and are easier for bears to recognize. Avoid dense bushes. If you can’t, then try to walk so that the wind blows from your back, and the bear can smell you. Contrary to popular belief, bears see much like humans, but they trust their noses more than their eyes or ears. Always let the bear know you are there.

Like people, bears use paths and roads. Don't pitch your tent near a trail they might be on. Walk around the places where you smell it dead fish, animal, or you see animals feeding on carrion. There may be food for a bear there, and if it is nearby, it can aggressively defend the hiding place. As a rule, in such places the bear has a rookery - lying down.

Don't crowd the bears!
Give the bear as much free space as possible. Some bears are more tolerant than others, but each bear has its own "personal space" - the distance within which the bear feels threatened. If you are in this area, the bear may react aggressively. When photographing bears, use telephoto lenses; When getting close for close-up shots, you may find yourself in this danger zone.

Bears are always looking for something to eat!
Bears only have 7 months to accumulate fat before their long winter hibernation. Don't let them know that human food or garbage is easy pickings. It is foolish and dangerous to feed bears, or to leave food or garbage that attracts them.
Prepare food away from your tent. Store all products and food away from the camp. Hang food so that the bear cannot reach it. If there are no trees, store food in airtight or special containers. Remember that dogs and their food can also attract bears.
Keep the camp clean. Wash the dishes. Do not use strong smelling foods such as bacon or smoked fish. Don't let your clothes smell like food. Burn garbage on a fire, burn cans. Food and trash are equally attractive to bears, so handle them properly. Burying waste is a waste of time. Bears have a keen sense of smell and are good at digging.

If a bear approaches you while fishing, stop fishing. If there is a fish on the line, do not let it splash. If this is not possible, cut the line. If the bear realizes that he can get fish only by approaching the fisherman, he will return again. The bear may also mistake you for another bear - a stranger who is hunting (fishing) in its territory and react very aggressively.

Close encounters with a bear. What to do?
If you see a bear, try to get away from it. Give the bear every opportunity to avoid meeting you. If you encounter a bear, remain calm. Attacks are rare. There is a chance that you are not in danger. Most mother bears are interested in protecting their food, their cubs, or their personal space. When the threat is over, they will pass by.

Make yourself known!
Let the bear know that you are human. Talk to the bear in a normal voice. Wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you. If the bear cannot recognize who you are, it may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or sniff. standing bear usually shows curiosity, he is not dangerous. You can try to slowly back away diagonally, but if the bear starts to follow you, stop and stay where you are.

Don't run!
DO NOT RUN under any circumstances. You can't outrun a bear. They have been found to run at about 60 km/h and, like dogs, they will chase a fleeing animal or person. This animal mistakes an animal running from it for a victim, and easily kills in 90% of cases out of 100. Bears often intimidate, intimidate, sometimes 3 meters from their enemy, without trying to attack. Keep waving your arms and talking to the bear. If the bear gets too close, raise your voice and become more aggressive. Knock on pots and pans. Use loud instruments. Never imitate a bear's growl or scream in a high-pitched voice.

If a bear attacks.
If the bear starts to attack, give up! Fall to the ground and play dead. Lie on your stomach or curl up in a ball with your hands behind your head. It is common for a bear to stop attacking if it feels the threat has been eliminated. Stay still for as long as possible. If you move and the bear sees or hears you, he may return and resume the attack. In rare cases, an attacking bear may mistake a person for food.

Protection.
Use guns with caution as an alternative to a sensible approach to handling close encounters with a bear. Unless you have experience handling a gun in emergency situations, you are more likely to be injured by a gun than by a bear.

You can shoot at a bear ONLY for the purpose of self-defense during an attack, if you did not provoke the attack, and if there is no other way out. In all other cases, it is necessary to fire a warning shot in the air to scare the bear. If you are not a hunter, but a fisherman and you do not have a gun, take with you a traumatic (gas) pistol with flash-noise cartridges. It should always be at hand (on the belt in a belt holster, behind the bosom, in a body holster). If there is no such thing, ordinary firecrackers or a rocket launcher are quite suitable. Under no circumstances should you leave the camp without a means of guaranteeing a shot or noise when necessary.

IN ordinary life Collisions between people and bears occur more smoothly. Usually, whoever is smarter is the first to give way. Bears almost always do this. If the bear still tries to approach, in 90 percent of cases a sharp whistle or an unexpected clap in the palm is enough for the animal to run away. If he keeps coming closer, the next remedy is to throw a pebble at him. As a rule, it works. Some hunters claim that it helps against bears. mat.
Bears are afraid of everything unexpected. For example, unexpectedly opening umbrellas, especially if two are drawn on them big eyes. The tail of a raincoat suddenly thrown open or a backpack suddenly thrown into the air. Any unexpected behavior.

The greatest troubles come from young bears actively exploring the world around them, as well as from mature dominant males who have no enemies in the world. wildlife and have forgotten how to give way.
One final piece of advice: when in bear areas, don’t forget to look back sometimes!

There is nothing worse than suddenly encountering an animal - he may perceive it as an act of aggression.

Some hunting stores sell a protective aerosol spray containing capsicum (red pepper extract) that has been used successfully for bear protection. These sprays are effective at a distance of about 5-6 meters. If sprayed upward or in a car, they may injure the user. Take precautions. If you carry a spray, keep it handy and know how to use it.

Mother bears can be fierce protectors of their cubs. Standing between a mother bear and her cubs is a big mistake. A mother bear may react violently to anything she perceives as a threat to her cub.

The bear's rutting period begins in June and ends in late July - early August. During this period, the animals are excited, and groups of adult animals are often found. Demonstrative competitions and fights arise between the males; as a result, the female remains with one male, while the others stay nearby. Males are highly active and aggressive, and remain near the female throughout the entire estrus period.

The cubs appear in January-February. In the Urals, it is not uncommon to see a female with three cubs.

The daily activity of a bear is determined by the season of the year, the availability of food and the general life cycle of the animal. In spring and the first half of summer, bears can feed around the clock, especially in cloudy weather. The bear's high daily activity continues until the start of salmon and grayling migration. For the day, bears lie down without going far from the feeding site, usually in thickets of bushes, in closed clearings, in small forest clumps, and on hot days they can be located in floodplain tall grass or river grass.

During the period of mass migration of salmon, daytime activity decreases and shifts to evening, morning and night hours. When there is a lack of food (especially when fish are weak), the activity of bears increases, and they feed in berry fields, in dwarf cedar or in mountain meadows at almost any time of the day. To rest, the bear usually settles under a canopy coniferous trees, and the beds can be used repeatedly. In twilight and in the thicket of a forest, a bear feels much more confident than a person.

The bear is omnivorous. In the Urals in the spring, after leaving their dens, animals go out to the warm slopes of the mountains, which warm up and are quickly freed from snow cover, where they dig for rhizomes and bulbs. Later in May, they begin to go to rivers or berry fields, pick up carrion, and eat the remains of berries. Animals often visit the coasts of rivers and lakes in search of animal and plant waste.

When fish begin their migration to spawn, most bears are located near spawning rivers. On the mountain Ural rivers, fish is the main source of protein food for the animal. After gorging on fish, bears go to berry fields or grasses, only to return to the river after some time. This will diversify the menu and make the diet richer. In the autumn before their bedding (October-November), bears leave the rivers and gradually move, feeding on the berries and nuts of dwarf pine trees, and go to their wintering places. In their environment, bears are cannibals. More big bear can catch and eat a bear cub (which most often happens during the mating season, when the cubs are not far from the mother bear). There have been recorded cases of bears attacking and eating smaller (usually young) individuals.

Bears' winter shelters are usually located in the ground or caves. Two or three animals can sleep in one den. With an abundance of food, individuals of good fatness may not lie down in dens at all, arranging surface beds - nests.

Bears live on average 25-30 years.

Humans are not the bear's food source. Most bears in normal conditions they try to avoid meeting a person, and, having discovered him first, try to leave unnoticed. If the meeting occurs, then the vast majority of bears take flight.

However, you should always remember and clearly know that the behavior of a particular bear you encounter in a particular situation is UNPREDICTABLE!

The main reasons for attacks by brown bears on people.

In our desire to communicate with nature, we climb further and further into the forests. The taiga landscape beckons us, modern technology allows us to get in there. The roar of helicopter engines and all-terrain vehicles scares away the forest inhabitants of the pristine taiga. But at the same time, we spend more and more time, without knowing it, accustoming the same bears to our presence.

The predator gets used to humans (becomes, without knowing it, a so-called “synanthropic” bear) in places where it constantly has to deal with them. He gradually loses his fear of man and, as a logical conclusion of the process, the aggressiveness of the bear, which by nature does not like meeting people, increases. At the same time, some part of the population, perhaps insignificant, shows a tendency to freeloading, adapts to life near a person and at his expense. Harmless at first, these animals become increasingly aggressive. They LOSE FEAR in front of a person!

Many researchers agree that aggression towards humans is an extreme expression of “synanthropism.” An important, if not the main reason for the entry of animals into camps, parking lots and populated areas and conflict situations, is the careless maintenance of garbage dumps, various types of food waste dumps, the leaving of food waste and garbage in forests, as well as careless storage of food. In these cases, animals are attracted by the smell and availability of food. Bears are also attracted by fish, from which fishermen cook fish soup and fish waste, which tourists leave behind.

Thus, bears pose an increased danger to humans :

For some reason, those who have lost the opportunity to obtain their usual food (sick, injured, old) or have become accustomed to picking up scraps and eating what is left from a person food waste;

Individuals adapted to contact with people (including bears - “beggars”), often meeting with humans, living in the area of ​​permanent sites;

Animals with “disturbed behavior” - having, to one degree or another, “tried” to hunt a person - once killed him with impunity;

The degree of danger largely depends on the circumstances of contact.

The danger is extremely great if:

The animal is wounded (the bear is very strong against the wound, even a mortally wounded bear is capable of attacking and killing the hunter);

When meeting a mother bear accompanying the cubs (especially if a person is between the cubs and the mother bear);

A bear protecting its prey;

If a person accidentally finds himself in the path of a bear running away from some danger.

It is very dangerous when a person crosses the threshold of “rapprochement”, i.e. ends up too close to the beast. The science of animal behavior - ethology, states that predators have one feature - the so-called critical approach distance. All living beings that find themselves closer to this critical distance from the predator are perceived by it as aggressors, that is, attackers. In this case, it is difficult to predict how a particular bear will behave.

Among the BEARS there is also " underpants"and unperturbed" Olympians"and aggressive" fighters".

The “coward” runs away from the attacker;
The "Olympian" just stands there and watches what happens next;
The aggressive "Brawler" himself instantly attacks the "attacker".

Therefore, you can end up in the clutches of a bear not attacking, but defending! The vast majority of known cases of bear attacks on people can be explained by this feature of the behavior of predators, when he perceived a person as attacking him.

It is extremely dangerous to approach a bear caught in a snare (noose or trap), which poachers often set near food bait (fish, animal carcasses, or on a trail). A bear caught in a tightly fixed noose (usually to a thick tree) tries to break out until the last moment, with a roar it destroys everything around it within a radius depending on the length of the rope. If the samolov is attached to a drag (a log, a chain with an anchor, etc.), then the bear, moving, pulls the drag behind it, leaving a furrow on the grass and soft ground. If you approach such an animal, it will definitely attack. Woe to the one who encounters an angry bear that has escaped the stranglehold of the noose.

The degree of danger for humans varies in different seasons of the year: upon leaving the dens, during the rut, and also in winter period when “connecting rods” appear - bears that have not accumulated a sufficient amount of fat, or are wounded, and therefore do not lie down in the den.

The degree of danger also increases at night: it is more difficult to notice the animal, and at night bears are more active and courageous; there are cases when they went straight to the fires.

Cowardly, inexperienced, untrained dogs can also provoke a bear. Some bears not only actively defend themselves from dogs, but also chase them themselves. Cowardly dogs seek protection from a person and throw themselves at his feet, which can cause an accident. Only bear-baited dogs that are not afraid of the bear can stop an attacking bear. Therefore, do not take your untrained pets with you into the forest or on an expedition to the taiga; they will not protect you from a bear, but may provoke an attack. Only a dog that can detain him at the cost of his life can protect a person from a bear.

Ways to reduce the likelihood of an encounter and attack.

In order to avoid dangerous situations When meeting a bear, following these rules will help you:

1. While moving along the route, hunting in the forest, picking mushrooms or berries, relaxing in picturesque taiga places, always remember that an encounter with a bear can happen at any time, in any place, and You must be mentally prepared for this. Plan possible actions in advance. Listen to the birds around you. Nutcrackers are especially talkative. Based on the behavior of birds, one can predict in advance the place and time of the appearance of the animal.

2 . To avoid the critical approach distance and not unexpectedly collide with a bear, it is necessary to move noisily in the forest, talking freely and loudly, and preferably in a group of at least 3 people. Avoid close encounters with bears. Look for signs of a bear that indicate one is nearby and make as much noise as possible. Let's make ourselves known.

3 . To avoid the appearance of “synanthropic” (habituated beggars) bears, it is important to ensure that so that conditions for their complementary feeding are not created. Food waste and carcasses of killed wild animals must be destroyed to prevent predators from using them.

4 . Do not leave in the forest at your resting places and intermediate stops food leftovers, garbage. It is prohibited to establish such objects as garbage dumps, landfills, food waste warehouses near bases, camps, trails, at rest stops and routes. Avoid attracting bears by improperly storing food and trash.

5 . When moving through the taiga and river banks, the maximum try to avoid areas of tall grass, long grass, thickets of dwarf cedar, closed cozy meadows, thickets of "burdock" in the floodplains of rivers and streams, places possible rest bear on day trips. Move to open areas where you can see the bear far enough away.

6 . Seeing a bear in the distance, don't go near him, carefully leave this place, go around it. Keep calm.

7 . Post outdoor camp, with sufficient visibility of the places. Carefully monitor the cleanliness of their territories and burn all food waste. Don't store food in accessible places, isolate them so that odors cannot attract animals.

8 . In no case don't spend the night, do not pitch tents or camp on bear and other forest paths.

9 . Avoid driving along river banks and streams during the salmon spawning period in the evening and morning twilight and at night. At all avoid walking in the taiga in the dusk and at night. Remember, night is the time of the Bear! If fate has forced you to walk at night, you need to at least move with an electric flashlight on.

10 . Under no circumstances don't come closer in places where bears are likely to be found the remains of dead animals, masses of abandoned fish, and other possible baits. When disturbed while hunting, a bear in most cases goes on the attack.

11 . Don't crowd the bear, respect his “personal space”. In case of an unexpected meeting "short", even if you are unarmed, you absolutely cannot run away from the beast(this is useless and can only further provoke the bear to pursue). It is necessary, trying to maintain calm as much as possible, to remain in place (no matter how scary it may be), loudly calling for help, or, slowly backing away, retreating. In this case, you can try to scare away the bear by ringing metal objects, loud screams, voices, shots in the air, rockets, or a special flare.

13 . Never, Do not, under any circumstances, approach bear cubs, no matter how cute and cute they may seem to you. Don't try to feed or entice them. If you meet them by chance, or they come to your resting place, stop immediately, quickly look around and look for an escape route as quickly as possible. Bear cubs are curious and if they are heading towards you, drive them away with loud screams. Remember - there is a bear somewhere nearby, and GOD FORBID You will find yourself between a mother bear and a bear cub. The attack of the Bear, if she considers that you are a threat to her baby, will be the last thing you see in your life.

14 . Protect You, your camp only strong, brave and vicious dogs can. Even among huskies, not everyone is capable of attacking a bear. Under no circumstances should dogs be used to protect against bears without the skills, dexterity and strength to at least briefly detain the bear in place.

15 . Scaring away the bear with shots, don't try to shoot the bear itself. A wounded bear is extremely dangerous! Even if he leaves you, he can become a serious danger to other people. You can only kill a bear with a weapon large caliber and not always even a shot “on the spot” can immediately stop a bear. A reliable shot right in the brain or spine.

16 . As a last resort, you can escape from a bear in a tree, if you manage to climb it. Due to its weight, an adult large bear will no longer be able to climb on it. Such cases of rescue, or rather sitting out, in trees are known. If there are several trees, try to choose the largest one.

17 . While in the taiga, always be extremely careful, do not go into the thickets of elfin wood and tall grass. Do not climb in floodplain bushes. When settling down to rest, carefully look around to see if there are any signs of the presence of a bear. On clay outcrops, swamps, and the banks of streams you can see traces of a bear, and in floodplain areas there are feeding areas (digging areas) where he dug for marsh plants. If you suspect a bear has been in the area, leave the area immediately and look for another one.

18 . Even if the bear does move towards you, there is still hope that it will turn away. Never DO NOT turn your back on a charging bear.! A person who runs is almost certainly doomed. When attacked by a bear, you should not show outward signs of fear. If there is no reliable shelter or shelter nearby, you must face the danger head-on. There are more people who survived the bear's attack in this way than those who were able to escape. Don't run.

19 . Having seen a bear accidentally entering the path (road), never, do not feed them under any circumstances, no matter how harmless and cute they may seem. The bear does not need your feeding, but by starting to feed the bear you are raising a beggar in him, who will very quickly begin to demand food, and if he does not receive it, he becomes aggressive and is capable of attacking a person, of whom he loses fear. Remember that by your actions you are endangering the lives of other people.

20 . If you find a bear showing aggression, a wounded bear, a bear caught in a plane (noose), a bear attacking dogs and people, you need to immediately warn other people located in the same place or in close proximity to it.

21 . And the last thing - ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE: Having met a bear, regardless of its size, behavior and appearance treat him as a formidable and powerful predator, with unpredictable behavior.

Research conducted in our country and abroad has shown that there is no single universal means of protection against bears, and the above recommendations cannot be considered as an absolute guarantee against an accident, but they will help reduce the likelihood of a conflict situation.

In many cases, bears are not a threat, but they deserve your respect and attention. When traveling through the taiga, be vigilant and take the opportunity to see these amazing animals in natural environment their habitat.

Unfortunately, even full compliance with the recommendations cannot completely eliminate the likelihood of a bear attack, because it is impossible to foresee the circumstances of each specific case of an encounter with a bear. The behavior of a bear is unpredictable. But we will be sincerely glad if, after reading the recommendations, you become more careful on taiga expeditions.

The main reference material is taken from open sources of information.
Prepared by Evgeniy Svitov.

Due to the fact that it is impossible to foresee each specific case of a meeting between a person and a bear, taking into account the prevailing circumstances, it is impossible to give a single summary of recommendations on this issue, providing absolute guarantees against an accident when an animal attacks. At the same time, these tips can reduce the likelihood of a conflict situation to a minimum.
A bear extremely rarely attacks a person: only if it is disturbed in its winter den, wounded, or taken by surprise with prey. Dangerous are mother bears who have cubs with them, “connecting rods”.

To avoid encounters with a bear in the forest:

1. In the forest, make noise, sing, talk loudly, or tie a bell to your backpack. If possible, travel with a group. Avoid dense bushes, thickets, and windbreaks. Always let the bear know you are there.
2. It is forbidden to create garbage dumps, landfills, food waste warehouses around settlements, bases and camps, field detachments, tourist groups, at rest stops and routes, which contribute to the concentration of animals near humans. This problem cannot be solved even by burying organic remains at a considerable depth, since bears, having a well-developed sense of smell, easily detect and dig them up. It is recommended to remove food waste (if it is impossible to dispose of it) at a considerable distance from housing; the dump site should be clearly marked with signs and warnings should be given about it local residents. If it is impossible to organize removal on your own or by nearby villages and organizations, food waste must be destroyed by burning.
3. Having dogs with you that are not afraid of the presence of an animal and have an angry reaction will greatly help protect you from the appearance of a bear. In no case should you use indoor and decorative dogs for protection. Best used for guarding huskies and German shepherds. Remember that pets and their food can also attract bears.
4. Under no circumstances should you approach the remains of dead animals, dead fish or other natural habitats that are a significant source of decomposed animal food. First of all, this concerns the extraction of the brown bear itself. Remember: a bear disturbed by prey in most cases goes on the attack.
5. To avoid encounters with a bear, it is advisable not to use bear trails when moving through the taiga and tundra. The paths made by the bear differ from all other paths in that they represent two parallel chains of holes at a distance of 20 cm from each other. You should also avoid driving along river banks and along spawning grounds at dusk and dawn, as well as at night.

Occurring behavioral characteristics bears:

1. A bear's defensive behavior is usually a consequence of the fact that you have violated the boundaries of his personal possessions, scared him, or embarrassed him. A typical example of defensive behavior is the reaction of a mother bear with her cubs when she suddenly encounters a person. A defensive bear perceives you as a threat to itself and its cubs, or perhaps it is simply protecting its food from you. External signs can range from mild stress to extreme aggressiveness, such as assault.
2. A bear may come close not only for defensive purposes, but also for other reasons. Just out of curiosity, or because he was used to people. He may be interested in your food. Sometimes bears walk in circles downwind, trying to smell the scent. Being at a short distance, they begin to approach slowly and carefully, ears pricked and heads raised higher.
3. Bears that live close to people allow them to come closer to them without expressing much concern, especially in places where they are accustomed to meeting people. A bear, accustomed to people, does not keep its distance so strictly, but it invariably remains. Invading his personal space is dangerous.
4. Predatory bear will be extremely interested and will focus on you as potential food. A bear that appears curious or tests you at first may turn out to be a predator if you are unable to fight it off. He will persistently approach you or appear suddenly, holding his head high and ears pricked. Under any circumstances, bears attack people extremely rarely.

To avoid dangerous situations when meeting a bear:

1. Whenever you see a bear, stop, remain calm and assess the situation. If the bear does not know about your presence, you can leave unnoticed, do it quietly, at a time when the bear is not looking in your direction. Watch him closely. Go around the bear, making a wide detour, or go back the same way you came here. The most common situation is when a bear avoids you and you are unaware that it is nearby. The closer you were to the bear when it discovered you, the more likely it was to have a defensive defensive reaction.
2. If the bear moves towards you, watch closely to see if its behavior changes. Try not to look threatening, stop. Speak to the bear in a confident tone. This may calm him down and help calm you down. Let the bear know that you are human. If the bear can't recognize who you are, it may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or sniff. A standing bear with its paws down usually shows curiosity and is not dangerous.
You can try to slowly back away diagonally while keeping your eyes on the bear, but if the bear starts to follow you, stop and stay where you are.
3. Don't shout or throw anything at the bear to defend yourself from it. This may provoke him to attack.
4. Don't run! You can't outrun a bear.

Human behavior during a direct attack by a brown bear.

Finding yourself face to face with a defensive bear can be a terrifying experience. Despite the fact that in most such cases bears do not dare to attack, the opposite happens.
1. If the bear comes too close, don’t take a step back! Continue speaking in a calm voice. If the animal stops approaching you, try to increase the distance between you again. At this stage of events, any bear will most likely refuse to continue the encounter and will leave, unless it is aggressive.
2. There are two main types of attacks - defensive or predatory. Your first reaction in both cases should be the same: not a step back! If you fail to scare off the bear in advance, and it nevertheless rushes at you, your reaction to the attack should be twofold: if the bear is defending itself, pretend to be dead; if the bear attacks you, try to resist it!
3. If it's a predatory attack, it's your turn to act aggressively. Let the bear know that you will fight if it attacks. The more persistent the bear is, the more aggressive you should react. Raise your voice, knock on the trees. Use loud instruments. Never imitate a bear's growl or scream in a high-pitched voice.
4. Look the bear straight in the eyes. Challenge him. Try to look bigger than you really are. Stomp your foot as you take a step or two towards the bear. Slowly rise higher. Stand on a log or rock. Threaten the bear with any object that comes to hand. Remember: most attacks stop suddenly.
5. If this is an attack with a defensive purpose, then fall to the ground at the very last moment. Lie on your stomach with your legs slightly spread, or curl up in a ball. Cover your head by clasping your fingers at the back of your head. In this position you protect your face and neck. Bears often try to hit the face if it is not protected. If the bear flips you onto your back, continue to roll on the ground until you are back in a face-down position to protect your stomach and vital organs. Wearing a backpack will help provide some protection for your back and neck. Don't fight or scream. Stay still for as long as possible. If you move and the bear sees or hears you, he may return and resume the attack.

Most often, a bear shows aggression if it wants to protect its offspring from a potential threat from humans. His behavior at such moments can be different, ranging from a simple manifestation of antipathy towards the person he meets and ending with active actions, that is, a direct attack on him.

In some cases, the bear itself initiates a meeting with people. Curiosity and the smells of delicious food force him to slowly and carefully approach a tourist camp or populated area. If a bear lives nearby and often sees people, then most often it shows less aggression and can even allow people to come within a fairly short distance. However, it is better not to take risks and test the friendliness of this or that animal.

Many people are familiar with the concept of “approach threshold”. It indicates the permissible limit of approaching an animal. If it is violated and a person approaches the predator closer than permitted, then the animal sees him as an aggressor and behaves appropriately. Thus, a bear can attack a person not only when it is necessary to protect its cubs, but also in cases where it is wounded, afraid of losing its prey, or a couple of minutes ago was frightened by something or someone else.

The degree of risk of an unfavorable outcome from such an encounter with a bear depends on the season and the time of day at which the event occurred. The most aggressive and prone to attack is a bear after hibernation, awakened in winter or during the rut. These animals feel especially relaxed at night. Therefore, if you need to go to the taiga at this particular time of day, then be sure to take lighting devices with you.

How to avoid possible encounters with a bear

In order to reduce the risk of encountering an animal such as a bear in the forest, the following rules should be followed:

The bear avoids any noise in every possible way. In the forest you can sing and talk loudly. You can tie a bell to your backpack or clothes or make other noises. Travel whenever possible large group. Try to avoid windbreaks and do not go into dense thickets.

Do not create camps near or settlement landfills or warehouses with food and food waste. They attract animals and contribute to their concentration near people. You should not bury organic waste in the ground - at any depth, brown bears with an excellent sense of smell will find it and dig it up. All waste should be disposed of far from housing. The dump site is marked with a special sign, which all local residents must be warned about. If there is no possibility of disposal, then food waste must be burned regularly.

If possible, take your dog with you into the forest. We are talking about shepherd dogs and other breeds that can show an angry reaction and thereby protect you when a bear appears. You should also remember that any pets, as well as food for them, can become additional bait for a bear.

Do not approach the remains of dead animals, birds, and fish found in the forest. They may be prey for a brown bear who will defend it and attack you.

When moving through the forest, try not to walk on bear trails. You can recognize them by their shape: it is a path of two parallel lines of holes located approximately 20 centimeters from each other. Try not to go to the river at dusk, at night or at dawn, especially along spawning grounds where bears hunt.

Bear behavior

Defensive

WITH defensive behavior The beast can be encountered in cases where you have invaded its private domain or frightened it in some way. Most often, a female bear and her offspring behave this way when they accidentally encounter a person in the forest. The beast perceives a person as a source of threat to its offspring and itself or protects its prey. Outwardly, such a reaction can be different: from mild excitement to a sharp and sudden attack. Defensive

Curiosity

An animal can approach a person not only for defensive purposes. Sometimes he is overcome by curiosity or attracted by the smell of food. Some bears deliberately walk near the camp, trying to catch the smell of food. They approach slowly, raising their heads and pricking their ears.

Neighbor's

Those bears that live in close proximity to people do not show much excitement and can let them get close enough to them, especially where the animals are already accustomed to seeing humans. In individuals accustomed to people, the distance is not observed so clearly, but it still remains. Human intrusion into the private space of any bear is dangerous.

Predatory

A predatory bear will take a special interest in humans and will view you as potential prey. At first the animal simply shows curiosity, but if the bear is not rebuffed, it will turn out to be a predator. He will slowly approach you with his head held high and his ears pricked, or he will suddenly appear on your path. However, such an event as bear attacks on people does not happen often.

How to avoid danger when meeting a bear

If, while walking through the forest, you suddenly see a bear nearby, you need to stop and soberly assess the situation. There is a possibility that the animal has not yet noticed you, then there is a chance to calmly move away the moment the animal turns away and is looking in the other direction. Continue to monitor the animal. If you manage to escape unnoticed, make a small detour and go around the bear or return back along the same route. It often happens that a bear is nearby and tries to avoid contact with a tourist or hunter, but he does not even assume that the animal is hiding here. The smaller the distance between you at the second the animal notices you, the higher the likelihood of the animal developing a defensive reaction.

When the animal begins to approach you, be sure to watch for changes in its behavior. Stop and try to look natural. Talk to the animal; your confident voice will help it calm down. Try to make it clear that the bear has met a person. If the animal could not immediately understand who it was dealing with, it will stand on its hind legs or approach the subject of interest to examine it or sniff it. If the animal’s paws are lowered, it means that it is driven only by curiosity and this moment it's not dangerous. Without taking your eyes off the animal (but do not look into the eyes), step back smoothly and slowly, but at the slightest movement of the bear behind you, immediately stop and do not move any further.

There is no need to scream or throw objects at the bear in hopes of defending yourself. Yours aggressive behavior will anger the predator and it will most likely attack you.

Also, you should not run, you are unlikely to be able to do this, but running away can provoke the animal into aggression and attack.

Behavior during a bear attack

Encountering an aggressive bear in the forest is a terrible experience for anyone. Despite statistics that show a small number of cases of aggressive attacks on people by bears, such incidents still occur. How to behave in such situations?

If a predator approaches you, do not move. Speak to him in an even, calm tone. After the bear has stopped moving, carefully try to increase the distance between you again. A non-aggressive bear may abandon its intention to continue the attack and simply go elsewhere.

Whatever the attack - defensive or predatory - you should immediately freeze in your place. If you were unable to scare off the animal right away and it began to attack, then the reaction may be different: in the case of the bear’s defensive tactics, it is better for you not to move, but if the animal attacked, you should fight back.

Typically, predatory attacks are accompanied by aggression from bears. Your reaction in this case should also be an offensive. The beast must recognize your willingness to fight. And the more confident the animal is, the more aggressive your behavior should be. Try to make more noise: shout in a loud but not shrill voice, if possible, knock on hard objects or nearby trees. Do not imitate sounds similar to the growl of the bear itself.

Always look the animal in the eye if it has already attacked. Show your confidence and superiority. You can stamp your foot and take a couple of steps towards him. If possible, stand on something to make yourself taller. Bears are frightened by sharp sounds, you can clap, open a raincoat or an umbrella. Threaten the animal with what you have in your hands or what you can reach. Many bears are prone to suddenly stopping an attack that has begun, so it can end at any moment.

When attacking for the purpose of defense, at the very last second you are better off falling to the ground on your stomach and spreading your legs or lying curled up. It is better to cover your head with your hands, placing crossed fingers on the back of your head - this position provides protection for your face and neck. This is important because the target of almost all bears is the face. The beast will try to roll you over - in this case, roll back onto your stomach in order to ensure maximum protection for your face and internal organs. There is no need to fight the predator, no need to scream. Remain still and silent. Otherwise, the animal that had moved away will notice this and return to continue the attack.

Additional literature: advice from Nikita Ovsyanikov, the most authoritative scientist in Russia who studies polar bears. We are talking specifically about polar bears, so advice may vary.

If you met a wolf

No animal attacks a person without significant reasons. The most common reasons for an aggressive attack on a person by a wolf are the following:

• rabies, the main signs of which are a tucked tail, faded fur color, a dull, absent-minded gaze, a strongly lowered head, profuse salivation, as well as the fact that the animal is not in a pack, but is walking on its own;
• hunger, forcing the animal to look for prey among people;
• the desire to protect the offspring, prompting wolves to attack anyone who appears in close proximity to their cubs.

However, no matter what the real reason, when meeting a predator, there is absolutely no time to find out his motives, the main thing is to maintain composure and calm, which will help you save yourself in this extra-complicated situation.

How to behave if you see a wolf

If you notice a wolf in the forest in time, but it has not yet reacted to your presence, you can try to quietly leave this place. This attempt is not always successful, especially when we're talking about not about a lone wolf, but about meeting a whole pack, but it’s worth a try. Perhaps you will be lucky, and then your life will be saved.

If you can’t get away unnoticed, you should try to slowly move back, but on condition that the animal does not react in any way to your movements and does not follow you. Do not look the animal in the eyes, this may provoke it into aggressive behavior. The wolves view this as a call for decisive action and begin to attack. A growl signifies the wolf's confidence in its abilities and its readiness for a swift attack. As soon as the animal puts its ears to its head and crouches, expect an immediate jump from it. Immediately try to grab the predator by the throat and, if successful, press on it with all your might. The winner in this fight will be the one who has enough strength and endurance to withstand the pressure of his opponent.

Don't even try to run away from a wolf or other predator in the forest. Any animal is faster and stronger than man, so you simply won’t have a chance of salvation. By turning away from the animal in an attempt to escape, showing it your back and trying to escape, you automatically recognize yourself as a victim and increase the likelihood of a subsequent attack by a predator. You can try to escape from the wolf by climbing the nearest tall tree. However, the wolf is incredibly patient, and you will have to sit upstairs for a long time waiting for help or until the animal leaves.

To distract the wolf, you can throw something edible at it if you have something on hand. Often this option helps. The animal may give up its intention to attack you if it receives a tasty treat and is occupied with it for some time.

If you understand that an attack from a wolf can no longer be avoided, take it in the fetal position. This body position will limit the wolf's access to many vulnerable places, including helping to cover the neck. It is better, however, not to give up, but to give a decisive rebuff to the wolf, using any available means. The use of pepper spray, a stun gun, or sharp or piercing objects would be ideal option to intimidate the enemy. However, if you do not have anything significant with you for protection, then use what you find nearby: a thick stick, a heavy stone, a dry tree trunk. Try to hit the wolf in the most sensitive place - the face, aiming for where it hurts most - the nose. You can also strike the wolf in the stomach or in the chest at the moment when the predator jumps.

If there is a river nearby, get to it. Go waist-deep into the water, then you will have an advantage over the wolf, because the animal’s paws will not reach the bottom and it will not be able to attack with full force.

If a wolf knocks you down, get up immediately, remembering to constantly scold the enemy loudly. Your confident voice and clear movements will definitely strike fear into the predator. However, do not panic; control your emotions. As soon as you give up and show weakness, the predator will immediately defeat you. After fighting off the wolf and moving away from the battlefield, do not stop watching the defeated enemy out of the corner of your eye. Be prepared for the fact that the wolf may attack you again.

Traveling in a group: meeting with wolves

If you are traveling in a group and are attacked by wolves, try not to get separated. Stay together all the time. Keep an eye on small children and the wounded, if any - they are the ones wolves consider the weakest and choose as targets for attack. You should not show sympathy and pity for predators, they will not be able to appreciate this and will still continue to try to attack you. If you have a firearm, use it. Even if you don't want to kill the wolf, firing a gun can scare it away and force it to abandon its aggressive intentions.

If you have a dog traveling with you, keep an eye on it at all times. Try to prevent the animal from barking in the forest; be sure to collect excrement from it so as not to attract the attention of predators. You should not compare the behavior of a domestic dog and a timber wolf. A wolf is similar to a dog in appearance, but it is a wild and unpredictable animal, and you can expect anything from it.

If wolves decide to attack you after you've set up camp, try to scare off the predators with a fire. Everyone knows the fact that wolves are most afraid of fire, especially if there is a lot of smoke. For getting maximum quantity smoke, put freshly picked leaves into the fire, spruce branch, damp branches or lightly pour water on the burning wood. To make a fire, you need to choose a leeward side, then the wolves will not dare to attack the camp, and your group will be relatively safe.

If the outcome is negative chance meeting with wolves, be sure to consult a doctor for help. The wolf that bit you may be infected with rabies, and then you will also be infected. If you do not start timely treatment against this dangerous disease, death will occur within a few days.